Ryanair calls for NATS CEO to quit after UK air traffic control failure delays 65,000 passengers

Ryanair has called for NATS CEO Martin Rolfe to resign following another UK air traffic control system failure on Tuesday, September 8, which delayed over 65,000 passengers by up to eight hours and cancelled more than 50 flights. The disruption, which affected UK airspace, comes three years after NATS' catastrophic August 2023 system collapse. Ryanair noted UK ATC charges have risen 28% since 2022, while the company claims Rolfe receives over £1.4 million annually in bonuses despite repeated failures. Ryanair COO Neal McMahon criticized NATS' ongoing issues, stating lessons promised after 2023 have not been delivered. He urged the UK Government, Civil Aviation Authority, and NATS Board to appoint new leadership capable of running the system reliably.